Mexico cancels
preliminary antidumping duty against Greek canned peach
imports
On November 25, 1998,
Mexico’s Secretariat of Commerce and Industrial
Development (SECOFI) announced that there was
insufficient proof to determine that the Mexican canned
peach industry had been damaged by imports of Greek
canned peaches, or that they were victims of unfair trade
practices. As a result of this finding , the preliminary
antidumping duty of 43.51 percent, imposed on imports of
Greek canned peaches since December 9, 1997, was
terminated. Mexico’s major canning facility, located
in Tacete, receives much of its raw product from the
United States. U.S. exports of canning peaches to Mexico
totaled 10,343 tons in 1997. Total U.S. canned peach
exports to all destinations during the last marketing
year equaled 16,006 tons.
EU grants 5-year
derogation for U.S. wine-making practices
On December 18, the EU
Council voted to extend derogations for certain wine
making practices until 2003. In July and again in
September, the United States informed the EU that, unless
extended derogations were granted, negotiations on a new
wine accord could not begin. Now that the extended
derogation has been granted, negotiations are likely to
begin in early 1999. In the past, the EU had granted
derogations on an annual basis. The extended derogation
will remove much of the uncertainty faced by importers
and exporters at the end of each year. The EU is a
critically important market for U.S. wine and wine
products, accounting for approximately $202 million or 49
percent of total exports in 1997. Were the Council not to
extend the wine derogations, the resulting U.S. wine
trade loss has been estimated at $125 million.
Spain stops mandatory
aflatoxin testing on U.S. almond shipments
On December 18,
Spain’s Ministry of Health stated that mandatory
aflatoxin testing on all U.S. almond imports would be
discontinued. This policy has been in effect since
November 23, after Spain’s usual policy of random
testing had detected violative levels of aflatoxin in one
shipment of U.S. almonds. As a result, specific control
measures were established at Spanish ports, consisting of
systematic analysis of aflatoxin on all incoming U.S.
almond shipments, and detention of the product until
analytical results were obtained. In the ensuing month,
no positive results were found in U.S. shipments and
Spain has now reverted back to its usual policy of random
testing. U.S. exports of almonds to Spain totaled 11,506
metric tons in 1997.
